New Delhi: In an alleged hate crime incident, in Richmond Hill, New York, US, two Sikh men were assaulted on Tuesday. The Consulate General of India in New York has condemned the assault. They termed it “deplorable,” and said they were in touch with the police who are investigating this incident.
In connection with the crime one person is arrested, it said.
The attack on two Sikh men took place at the same spot where a member of the community was attacked nearly 10 days ago.
According to local media reports, two suspects hit the men with a pole and removed their turbans.
New York Attorney General Letitia James, condemning the attack, tweeted: “Another hateful attack against our Sikh community in Richmond Hill. Both individuals who were responsible must be brought to justice. Anyone with information about this should immediately contact @NYPDnews.”
NY State Assemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumar, the first Punjabi American ever elected to New York State Office, raised her voice against the violence. She said that there has been an “alarming 200% rise in hate crimes against the Sikh community in recent years”.
“I spoke to the NYPD soon after both of this week’s incidents against my Sikh American family. I am calling for both incidents to be investigated as hate crimes, and that the perpetrators be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” Rajkumar said in a statement.
She said that they will educate all on Sikh culture. She said, “We will educate everyone on Sikh culture so that everyone know as I do the generosity and kindness embedded in the Sikh American community.”
Delhi-based Sikh leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa, has called for an investigation into the alleged hate crime.
The attack on the two individuals came on the same day as the shooting on a Brooklyn subway that injured 16 people, 10 of whom received gun shot wounds and left five other in critical but stable condition.
As an independent media platform, we do not take advertisements from governments and corporate houses. It is you, our readers, who have supported us on our journey to do honest and unbiased journalism. Please contribute, so that we can continue to do the same in future.
